The Golden Rupee
by Linkey-boy
Summary: Summary? Gosh, am I some sort of super-hero? Well, the story begins... actually, read it yourself! I'm not ruining it!
1. Chapter 1

It was a cold, rainy day. The clouds were as grey as they could be, and they threatened to unleash lightning. There were no trees in the Forgotten Plains; lightning could prove fatal. In fact, there was nothing in the Forgotten Plains, no life, no movement, nothing. The winds don't blow, rivers don't flow and nothing was left alive in the realm of the Dark King. And this was only the border of his territory.

A lone figure walked through this barren wasteland, the only living thing to come here in 24 years; when the Dark King invaded this land. This land used to be famous for its lush grass and fruit orchards, but the fire of the Dark King burned everything. This didn't deter the person to reaching his goal.

The person was dressed in a black robe, with a black hood to match. A sheath hung on his hip, but his dagger was in his right hand. This was the only way to tell that he was dark skinned. He wasn't of a skinny figure, he was quite bulky. You would need to be to live so close to the Dark King's castle.

The dark-skinned man took another step and stopped. He stooped down and picked up a decent-sized rock. Tossing it into alternate palms after sheathing his dagger, he poured his focus into it. Moments later he threw it with all his might at the ground in front of him.

The floor crumbled under the force of his throw, to reveal a deep pit. Looking into it, you could only see the tips of the spikes created to impale Hyrulean soldiers. The man stepped around the pit and walked further into the plains, the sound of his rock hitting the mud at the bottom of the pit with a loud '_SPLASH!' _echoing up and out of the death trap.

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"Link! Hey, Link! Time to wake up!" A female's voice vibrated through the house. "You promised to help me with breakfast today, remember?"

"I remember..."

"Good! Get yourself down here, now!"

Link laid in his bed for a few minutes, before obliging to the female's request. He slowly picked himself out of his bed and changed out of his cuckoo patterned pyjamas. As nice as the ranch was, it was cold in the nights, which gave a good enough excuse for Link to wear his favourite night clothes. He pulled on his shirt, some trousers, and tied his boots to his feet. He put his sheath, with his sword inside, on his back, the hilt over his right shoulder. Every other swordsman that he met was surprised that he was left-handed which irritated him, time after time.

He never felt complete without the familiar weight of his beloved Mirror Shield on his back. The only reason he had for equipping his sword and shield was that he always felt more secure and ready for anything with them. They have saved him countless times before and he felt as if they were part of him. The mother-figure of the house didn't approve that much on the matter, and it was the only thing that she let slide.

When he was ready he drew his curtains to get an idea of the weather outside. It was autumn and you could tell just by looking at the beautiful leaves falling from the Maple trees. Link counted his blessings everyday because the ranch always had a fresh supply of Maple syrup. He really liked them on his pancakes.

_I wonder what's for breakfast..._

Link stiffened when he remembered Malon reminding him about his promise.

_How long has she been waiting?_

He didn't stop to look at the sun to find out. He was down the stairs in a flash, and smashed into the door to the kitchen. Every other morning, the door was open as he ran through the doorway. This time his nose really hurt.

_Hate you GanonDORK!_ He cursed. He knew it wasn't his banished foe's fault, but he blamed him anyway.

He opened the door, after rubbing his nose for a moment. However, when he tried walking through the doorway this time, he smashed into an angry Malon.

"What took you so long?" The question was simple, but the venom in her voice made Link shiver.

"I was... just getting dressed... and looking out the window..."

"I'm not out the window, Link." Her voice was soft now.

He spoke with a little more confidence: "I'm sorry."

They briefly hugged each other, before Link was granted access to the kitchen. Malon followed close behind him.

"What are we making today?" Link asked, curiosity lacing his every word.

"Ah. Well, we have a choice today. Fresh eggs, fresh milk, fresh bread..."

"Fresh syrup?"

"Sorry, Link. Talon finished it up last night."

"Oh... It's fine." Malon was very aware of the hurt in his voice.

"Sorry."

"Really, its fine. So... eggs and bread, huh? I'm thinking French toast."

"Sure... but, we're out of syrup."

"I know..." Link mumbled almost inaudibly.

What Malon replied with was drowned out by the clutter of pans and the opening of cupboards.

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"Aaahh..." Zelda stretched as she woke up. She turned her head to look out of the window.

_Another beautiful day_ she thought. It was. The cloudless sky was glowing orange in the sunrise, matching the leaves falling off the trees in the ranch. Birds were singing, if you could call the crow of a cuckoo singing. Other birds did flutter by though. She wished the whole day looked as beautiful as this.

She got up and strode over to her wardrobe. It wasn't as big as the one that she had at the castle, and she was gutted when she realised that she left her favourite dress at the castle. She was in a rush to pack, but surely her servant would've remembered her favourite dress.

_I'll speak to her when I get back..._

But when will she get back? Malon was very vague when telling her when she was welcome to leave. It was already a month after Bessie, the cliché name given to her favourite cow, gave birth to a calf that she appropriately called: Speckles. The calf was covered black with teeny-tiny white spots everywhere.

As nice as it was here, she couldn't help think that her and Link should leave for the castle soon. Thoughts of her beautiful castle enveloped her as she put on her dress.

The dress was purple, and pretty long. Not so long that you wouldn't notice the pair of boots Link lent her she was wearing. She gasped when she found she stepped in a cowpat and ruined her favourite pair of shoes the first day here.

She walked out of her separate hut that Talon made with her in mind and walked towards the main cabin. She had breakfast on her mind and as she walked closer to the kitchen, the smell of French toast cleansed her sense of smell; cowpats stunk. However, she wasn't completely satisfied because she thought she could smell burning. Malon never burned anything...

She opened the door to reveal a newly-flour-covered Link and a giggling Malon. Her nose didn't betray her, she found the delicious egg-soaked slices on a plate at the table, but half of them looked like they were dropped into a fire.

When Link recovered from the flour assault executed by Malon, he went and pulled a chair out of the table and inclined for Zelda to sit there. After a brief curtsy, Zelda made to sit down, but stopped, wiped of the flour dripping from Link's hat, then sat. You could see Link blushing a 'sorry' through the layer of flour over his cheeks, if only just barely. Malon and Link took a seat on either side of Zelda, Link on the left, and Malon on the right.

"Oh, no syrup left?" Zelda inquired.

Link hesitated for a brief moment but it was enough to let Malon and Zelda grab all the non-burnt pieces.

"Well, **I **am a fan of my cooking." Link said while bravely picking up his pile of soot and taking a bite. Both girls stifled a giggle at the look of Link's face. Link quickly ran to the trash can and spat the black powder into it. The girls couldn't control their laughter when seeing this.

"Uhm... those can be for Talon when he wakes up..." Link said with a black mouth. The laughter erupted all over the house at this point. Thank the gods that Talon slept in a different cabin.

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A few more weeks passed before Zelda insisted that she had over-stayed her welcome. Link agreed, though reluctance tinted his words; more syrup had just been harvested from the trees.

After packing bags and saying farewells to the ranch's owners, Zelda and Link climbed upon Epona and urged her to a slow trot till they left the ranch. Link had to watch where he led Epona; there were cuckoos everywhere. Link remembered the time he was little and tried slashing at them one too many times.

_Link had to run for his life, angry cuckoos running and flying everywhere around him. They would peck, and peck, and peck, but Link kept on running. He was getting so tired, he couldn't hold on for much longer... but he made it to the potion shop in Kakariko village, and collapsed inside. The familiar taste of red potion touched his lips, energy flowing through him instantly, but he had to pay up big time for the last in stock bottle of it to fully recover. As he walked out, his wallet a little light, he vowed he wouldn't go anywhere near those crazy birds ever again._

When they left the ranch, Epona sped up despite the weight of Zelda's clothes-case on her back. Link could only just lift them without the aid of the golden gauntlets. The countryside whizzed by, hills rolling, trees fading into the distance...

It wouldn't take long to reach the castle, but Hyrule field was a big field. At the pace Epona was going at, it would only take an hour or so.

Neither of them spoke much, Zelda was too scared to let go of Links waist. She never was too confident at the speeds Epona could go.

It had been almost half an hour when Link decided to race Epona past the mountain roots. For five minutes both Link and Zelda appreciated the pretty mountain flowers and the butterflies fluttering around, but then, Link slowed Epona down to a stop. Zelda was just about to ask what Link was doing when she looked over his shoulder. On the path was an old man in a red robe and a walking stick, walking towards them.

Link dismounted and strolled up to the stranger. "Good morning, friend."

"Aye, a good morning indeed. Who is this with you?" The old man seemed to only have eyes for Zelda.

"Why, princess Zelda! Have you been asleep in a cave for 50 years?" Link chuckled.

"No, but I have been on the other side of these mountains for a while." He scoffed.

Link snorted. No-one has ever crossed the mountain range surrounding the east of Hyrule field. "I think you're lying. No-one has ever crossed the mountains, and what business could you have over there anyway?" He was becoming annoyed the old man seemed to only look at Zelda.

"You've never heard!?!" The man exclaimed with a gasp, finally turning his head towards Link.

"Of what?"

"The golden rupee!"

"Pffft. There is no such thing. There are many different kinds of rupees: green, blue, yellow, red, purple, orange and silver, but there are no golden rupees."

"Not golden rupees, golden rupee! There is only one and it lies in the most evil place in existence on the other side of this mountain range." Links eyes lit up. "Yeah, somewhere called the Dark tower... y'see that land over there was invaded by a cunning king of great evil. He took everywhere and..." Link stopped listening.

_A golden rupee!?! Wow... I wonder if I could ever get it..._

"I tried to find it around the west..."

_Of course I could get it! I've been through hell and back to save my princess, so this should be a walk in the park._

"Well, here I am rambling on again. I'm sorry to bother you"-

"Not a problem!" Link interrupted with too much enthusiasm.

-", but I have to be on my way now. Safe travels!"

"You, too friend." Link walked back to his horse. _Imagine how much Zelda would love me to bring back the golden rupee for her..._

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Disclaimer note: I don't own these characters, but I own the old man, sorta, because I made him up. I also made up someone else.... See if you can guess;)

A/N: Well, I can see this working. Can you? Any suggestions to how this work out? Well, if you do, review!

Oh, I was told to write that I was awesome, too.

Don't comment on that in the review.


	2. Chapter 2

The rain was pouring down.

He had to stay in the tunnel, or he would die. The rain had grown steadily worse and worse, and if it got any colder, his immune system wouldn't be able to fight the microscopic invaders that were everywhere. The Swamp Of Plague was famous in these parts for it perfect condition to grow bacteria. It was wet, humid, and there were still a lot of dead bodies half-sunk in the brown-green slime.

He shivered. He could feel the cost of coming here already on his toes. He looked down upon the black frost-bitten stumps he had left on his foot. He couldn't stay here much longer. Besides, he was already sure what he was looking for wasn't here.

A scuffle echoed from behind him, and he turned to find a swarm of rats, running towards him, their red eyes sending shock and fear into his heart. He instinctively pulled out his dagger, but soon realised that he couldn't fight against then with THAT. So, he did the only thing he could do. He ran out onto the hills that surround the swamp, climbing them with all his might. Fire burned in his legs, but the countless squeaks behind him fuelled them non-stop. Would he survive? Is his quest already over?

He got to the top of the hill and, because he was so exhausted, he stumbled down the other side, rolling in an eternal cycle. Until he smashed his side into a rock, waiting for him at the bottom of the Earth's blemish. He lied there, waiting for his demise.

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The castle's halls echoed with the sound of boots falling in hasty rhythm.

Zelda was storming away from the library; where she held a huge argument over some fable Link heard. A golden rupee? It didn't exist! He was always so gullible. However, as usual, he didn't listen to her. He probably was busy packing, saying that he plans to leave soon.

_If he does leave, then I'll never see him again..._

Tears flowed from her cheeks as she thought of her hero dying. She sniffed.

_Well, then I have to be sure he never leaves..._

Zelda wiped the tears from her eyes. She went cold at the thought of the challenge that lies ahead of her. Stopping Link when he's made up his mind? Even if it was for his own good, he'd never take note. Zelda cursed his bad habits of trusting creepy old men.

If only there was a way he could see the truth...

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Link was standing in front of his bed, an overflowing backpack set out on top of his cuckoo-patterned covers. Cuckoos are the only thing he was afraid of, and that's why he loved them so much.

_But I need ALL this stuff..._

He frowned at his pack. He then sighed and pulled all his stuff out onto the floor, in an attempt to re-pack. After repeating this for the umpteenth time he finally gave up, realising that he needed Zelda's help.

_Like hell she'd ever help me. We haven't spoken for a few days now..._

He quickly wiped the tears from his eyes. The sun was high in the sky, almost blinding Link as he walked outside. There were no clouds in the sky to accompany the sun, and it reminded Link of one of Zelda's dresses. He quickly shook his head at the thought, and started jogging towards the main castle. His stone hut wasn't too far away from the main gate, but he was in a rush.

Guards were standing by the gate, like statues except for their occasional blink. Link strode up to them, and one sidled into his way.

"Who goes there?"

"You know who I am." Link replied panting. _Why must they always ask? Wasn't my hat enough proof?_

"Sorry sir, but you need a note to get into the castle now."

"WHAT!?!" _Zelda never mentioned anything about a note! What nonsense is this guard playing at?_

"It's a new rule. To keep out strangers." The guard had a smug look on his face.

Link snarled and raised his left arm to the hilt of his sword. He touched it, then calmed down instantly, helped by the spears pointed directly at his face.

"Fine. I have no note. I shall get one, however." He turned around and walked back to his hut. _I've broken in before, I can do it again._

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Link looked fondly upon the items he chose to accompany him. He bent down to tie the laces on his Pegasus boots, mystical boots that allowed him to run faster than a rampaging Helmasaur. He smiled as he remembered his first encounter with the beasts.

_He was in a cave, very dark and even damper. He just finished killing a Keese when he heard a loud patter of feet coming behind him. Without looking, he rolled to the side, and just in time. The bird-like creature ran right past him, and skidded to a halt. It turned around, its eyes boring into Link's. It was wearing a metal mask which had a huge spike where its nose should've been. He could've been impaled! Link stood his ground, and tried to assess his foes weakness. Well, the back of it wasn't covered, so there would be a good place to slash, he reckoned. Ezlo thought otherwise._

"_Stupid boy! You could've gotten killed!" The hat with a beak was squawking again. "You have to take off the mask! Use your brain! GUST JAR!"_

_Link still had no idea why he agreed for the critical piece of cloth to assist him, but he pulled out the jar, and let rip. Dust was being sucked in from all sides, but even more amazingly, the mask came right off, disappearing into the void inside the jar. The onslaught didn't stop there however, because the revealed bird-thing came into the jar and clogged up the hole! It was stuck, in the mercy of Link. Link knew exactly what to do. He released his tight grip n the jar's handles, and the bird-creature shot into the wall, breaking all the bones in its body. He smiled triumphantly, Ezlo still scolding him for almost dying, and walked further into the cave._

He also bent down to tie Roc's cape upon his back. He loved this cape, it gave him the ability to glide, and even do flips! It's saved his skin many times before, and it was the perfect thing for breaking into a castle.

His beloved Claw shots were soon strapped to his sides. An extendable and retractable claw on a chain; it was the coolest thing ever. The best thing was that he had two! Link was busy reminiscing about his battle with the dragon-like Aerofols as he put some Deku nuts into a pouch on his hips. You never know when a blinding flash of light will come in handy. Now that he was properly equipped, he strolled out the back entrance to his hut and circled around to the west side of the castle; the side with the orchard. He aimed his Claw shot and grappled up onto the highest of the trees. Apples fell around him, clunking on his Mirror shield which was covered by his cape. When he reached the top, he scanned the horizon. The guards were prancing around the court yard's statues. They looked so funny. Some were going faster than others; some were going in opposite directions... almost as if they planned for this to happen.

He flipped into the air, and started to glide towards the castle wall. The air whooshed passed him in all directions, almost as if it was moving out of his way. The ground was getting steadily closer to him as he reached the castle, and he only just managed to grab onto the ledge and pull himself up. He looked below him, the castle's patrollers oblivious to his presence, just as they were when he first tried to meet Zelda. He looked towards the spot where he found the hole in their defences, but it was blocked up by a crate. Well, Zelda sure knew how to make this easy for him.

He glided to the spot, his shadow carefully placed so the guards wouldn't see. He reached the ground and started running towards the crate. The boots kicked into action, and soon he was running so fast it was a wonder his hat stayed on. He managed to pull out his shield before he smashed into the box, protecting him from the splinters of wood. The debris was lying on the grass as he entered the small gap.

A few moments later, he entered the castles hall. It was as magnificent as before; candles lighting the walls and chandeliers illuminating the centre of the grand chamber. He scanned the room, and found no guards. What he did find, however, shocked him so bad he almost cried out. Standing in the very middle of the room was a heavily armoured figure, a huge axe in his hands. He had his back turned to Link, so he tried to sneak by him to the door on the left. He took one step and the deepest voice he ever heard echoed around the room.

"WHO GOES THERE?" It wasn't a question, it was a demand.

"I am Link. Hero of Time, wielder of the Master sword, and the keeper of the Triforce of courage." He drew his sword as he said this next part: "Who is asking?"

"I AM HARATHAR. I AM THE BEST ROYAL GUARD THERE IS. I AM ALSO THE END OF YOUR LIFE." He turned around to face Link at this point.

Link stifled a giggle. "I have faced countless people who say exactly the same thing, and I always prevail. What makes you so special?"

"BECUASE I-"

"A better question would be: Why do I have to fight you?" Link interrupted.

"THE PRINCESS REQUESTS ME TO STOP ANY THAT TRY TO REACH HER."

_Even me...?_ "Enough talk."

"LET OUR WEAPONS DO THE SPEAKING."

"Mine's a poet," Link said as he charged at the giant figure.

The inevitable clash of metal never came. The guard raised his axe to block Link's charge, but didn't count on him flipping over him at the last second, brushing of his helmet and landing behind him. Link's sword came into contact with the back of his foes neck, and he asked if he would surrender.

"NEVER!" The helmetless being spun around and tried to hit Link with his axe in reply. Link ducked under his enemy's horizontal slash and rolled under his legs, jumping up to rest his sword against the uncovered neck again. A deep growl vibrated through the air.

"I... I ADMIT defeat..." The voice got quieter as that word was said.

Link enjoyed this. "I'm sorry, what was that? Your voice kinda faded on that last word."

"I... YIELD."

Link sheathed his sword and patted the back of the bald head. "I'll see you later then." He started walking towards the door. It was a grand door, as it led into the royal chambers. Link pulled on the handle, but it was locked. At that moment, a key was hurled towards his head. Link side-stepped and caught it in his teeth.

"Show off..." A grumble was just barely heard from behind him. Link winked at the source. He grabbed the key and shoved it into the door making them swing open. At the end of the hall, was Zelda sitting upon her throne.

"Impressive. You managed to get here." The doors shut behind Link as he started walking towards the feminine voice. "However, it did take you a while."

"Zelda... I'm sorry I was so stubborn before." Link walked directly up to her.

"So am I. In fact, I've had a change of heart."

"I can go!?!" Link faced lightened up.

"Even better. I'm going with you."

"Wha-what!?!" Link's face suddenly was masked by his shock, because his hat fell over his face as he recoiled.

"I have thought about it hard. So, now I'm interested in it too."

"But we'd need like, 50 soldiers to accompany you!"

"Not if we make a cover story." Zelda winked at him.

"Nice."

Zelda stood up, and linked arms with Link. They both started walking towards Zelda's room, to think up a suitable lie.

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Woop! Another chapter done. :D

I don't know what you think, and I don't care too much, but I think this is going really well! (I'm kidding. Reviews are always welcome. Please dont be offended.)

Woops! I didnt proof read! I hope nothing is wrong...


	3. Chapter 3

Instead of death, an earth-shattering roar greeted him. Still dazed, he tilted his head towards the stream of rats, but they were disappearing. Instead of being in their perfect lines, they scattered, running for the closest piece of cover that they could.

_They were scared of that noise? That can't be good..._

He turned his head in the other direction, and froze over with disgust. Standing before him was a great bear, its fur turned green with moss and slime. Its eyes were a similar red to the rats and like them it had huge boils on its face. Pus oozed from one of them, running down its pointed snout. It roared again, almost bursting his eardrums this time.

He stood up clutching his side, wincing with pain. The bear's eyes lit up at the signs of weakness. The hooded figure then drew his trusted dagger. The bear charged, but the man jumped to the side and brought up his dagger. The bear continued forward, but got a deep gash all along its side because of it. The moss and fur was stained deep red, but parts mixed with the slime to form a brownish liquid.

_Even if this bear kills me, it will die from infection. Even now the bacteria would be mixing with his blood stream..._

The bear turned after slowing, fire burning passionately in its eyes now. It was truly angry with its prey, so very angry. The figure didn't cower under the glare, instead he returned it. This made the bear hesitate, which was the biggest mistake it had ever made. Mostly because he sunk a little in the mud, so couldn't move out of the way of the flung dagger flying towards it. The implement imbedded itself into the skull of the beast, because it hit the bear squarely in the eye socket. The bear howled with pain, and fell over sideways, onto the side with the cut. This hurt the bear even more, but it was already in pure agony. Even though it was thrashing around, the figure approached, pulled out the dagger and slit his foe's throat. Blood poured over the mud and disappeared beneath the murky depths, as the hooded form walked away from the scene. His next destination was already in mind, and he needed to get out of this rain.

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Link waited outside the great door. Zelda was inside her room, speaking with her nursemaids. She was persuading them to pretend she was ill for a few months. Link was positive that they could've come up with something better; however Zelda was in a rush. A few moments passed until Zelda came out of the door.

"All set?" She asked him.

"Actually, I could use your packing skills a little more..."

"What did you forget to pack this time?" Zelda sighed from the tedious patterns of Link.

"I didn't FORGET anything. I merely misplaced my Lens of Truth..."

Zelda merely shook her head and led Link back to his hut.

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Link was perched on the wall separating Hyrule castle from Hyrule field, with the wind blowing in his hair. He was busy using his claw shots to pull up bags upon bags of supplies. Food, equipment, even dresses were shoved into parcel after parcel. Packages were littering the floor where he dropped them on Hyrule field's side.

Zelda was waiting with Epona to put some of the bags on the horse. She was scared of approaching the bags until Link has finished, because he was throwing them down without looking.

"How much of this crap do we need?" Link said, grunting under the effort of lifting an especially heavy box.

"It isn't crap. All of it is necessary. You should know, because over half of them are just things you thought you could use. I mean, what could you use a ball and chain for? It's what's making that box so heavy."

"I don't know what you are talking about," Link said as he dropped the box over the side of the wall. The box landed, and made a sickening crunching sound, which unnerved Epona.

"Calm down, sweet horse," Zelda whispered into her ear.

"I am wearing most of my things, anyway. I say it's your numerous dresses that will weigh us down."

"I only brought five!"

"Why would you need five dresses?" Link took a break from his labour.

Zelda considered this for a moment, and then replied: "You're right. We need to repack. You get all that stuff back there, lug it to my room, and I'll get rid of the unnecessary things." She then jumped on Epona and rode back to the gates of the field, Link grumbling all the while.

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Once they had finally agreed on what they had to bring, Link only had to toss two bags over the stone wall. They were extremely heavy, however, so Epona walked at an even slower pace with those on. Link was wearing most of his equipment too, just in case he needed them in a moment's notice. Link and Zelda strolled beside her, gazing at the clear skies.

They had slipped out of the grounds without anyone knowing, apart from the maids. The maids would have already told the guards that both her and Link were feeling ill, and that no one should approach them in the medical hall because it was a very contagious disease. Apparently, Zelda had a hard time staying awake, and had turned completely pale. Link also had these syndromes, but also frequently pukes on the side of his bed. What a great lie.

Soon after they reached the mountain range, Link could see smoke coming from behind a few large boulders. He signalled to Zelda to stay there with Epona, and went to investigate. Silently and with the aid of his wondrous cape, Link jumped on top of the tallest boulder and observed the scene.

A huge fire was in the middle of the clearing in between the giant rocks. Around it were twenty bokoblins. The piggish humanoids were clutching their sticks with a greedy look in their eyes. Most of them were looking at a pot boiling near the fire; others were looking at a cage which held a still old man. He had his face covered by his hood, and his hands were tied behind his back. Link couldn't watch any longer.

He jumped down and let loose one of his deku nuts. He covered his eyes with his hands, but all the beasts looked at the spot where the nut hit the ground, and they each felt the full impact of the flash of light. They were stunned, they couldn't move, just barely breath. Link ran around slashing at his opponents, but the effects didn't last that long. Link managed to kill seven out of twenty of the creatures before they could move again. They ran towards Link in unison, and Link ran towards them. His sword came into contact with a body, and it slumped to the ground. The remaining bokoblins tried to hit him with their sticks, but Link raised his shield. He grimaced over the feeling of twelve sticks hitting his shield repeatedly and back flipped a few feet away from them. They charged again and when they were close enough, Link summoned his power to perform a spin attack. Bokoblins flew a foot in all directions, lying on the floor. Link jumped on the closest one, his sword impaling the creature's chest. The others got up and ran at him again. He pulled out his sword and slashed open the chest of the closest humanoid. He then blocked a stick with his sword and pulled it up so he could bash the exposed chest with his shield. The bokoblin flew into another, killing them both. The other bokoblins regrouped and formed a circle around Link. They stayed at an arm's length, snarling. Link just smiled. He sheathed his sword and put his shield on his back. Before the bokoblins could respond, he started making hand gestures in the air. After a particularly dramatic signal, a sphere of fire surrounded him, expanding in all directions. The slow nature of the bokoblins led to their downfall, as the wave engulfed them.

"DIN'S FIRE!" Link yelled at the top of his voice during the exercise. All his enemies slumped to the ground, completely charred. Link stepped over them chuckling. He loved that spell. He walked over to the cage with the man, and smashed it open with his golden gauntlets. Wood fired off and splintered the ground at Link's feet. The man suddenly tensed and his hood fell over his face further.

"I'll take you all on!" The man grunted as he charged at Link.

"Whoa! Hold on, pal. I just saved you." Link said leaping out of the way.

"What..?" The man questioned as he uncovered his hood. He had deep cuts everywhere on his face; he must have been putting up a huge fight when he was captured.

"The bokoblins. They are all dead." Link said smugly.

"Thank you stranger. I shall be on my way now. Safe travels."

"To you also."

The man started walking towards an opening in the boulders, deeper into the mountain range. Link walked in the opposite direction, towards the path Zelda was waiting for him on.

"What happened?" Zelda's curious voice entered his ears as soon as he was in earshot.

"Ahh... a few bokoblins were about to eat some old man."

"You saved him, of course."

"Of course."

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They spent the rest of the day following the path up the mountain, and reached the end of the trail at sundown. Link gathered firewood and dumped it into the middle of a clearing Zelda found while waiting. Zelda rolled out their sleeping bags as Link readied a fire arrow and shot it into the pile of wood. A huge fire burst into action, warming them up instantly.

Link was looking up at the stars that had just come out on his sleeping roll as Zelda pulled out some rations of food.

"I'm sure you are hungry after your heroic battle." Zelda said pressing a bowl of warm soup into Link's hand.

"I am very hungry, princess. Thank you." Link slurped a spoonful of his broth before investigating what was inside his bowl. He saw some chunks of meat, as well as numerous vegetables.

He smiled and slurped another spoonful, and Zelda scolded him for his lack of manners. Link ignored this remark and continued consuming his soup. The heat of his soup soon ran through his blood stream, and he was very comfortable thinking of staying here with Zelda forever.

Once they had finished the meal, they settled down for sleep. They were too sleepy to bother changing out of their clothes, and Zelda begged Link not to tell anyone. They said goodnight to each other, Epona only braying, and then drifted off into dreams of great riches which waited for them at the end of their journey.

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Some twigs crunched under foot. Some bushes rustled. A faint chattering surrounded the campsite. A few red eyes peeked out of a tree. A stick poked out of another. As quietly as they could, bokoblins crept into the campsite, only to find empty sleeping bags. The leader snarled at the lost prey and signalled for a retreat.

Link and Zelda was watching them go through Link's Hawk Eye, sitting on a hill. Bows in hand, they shot down each and every one of the invaders with alarming accuracy. No bokoblins noticed until an arrow went through its head.

When they were sure they killed them all, they climbed down the hill towards the mass grave yard. Zelda went straight to getting Epona out of her hiding place, but Link went and rummaged through the carcass' pockets. With his wallet a few measly rupees heavier, he strolled back through to the campsite.

"I guess we are deep into bokoblins territory, then," Link said as he emerged from a bush.

Zelda jumped before responding in a shaky voice: "Yes, I guess we are."

Link chuckled as he sat down for bed again. He called Zeffa, a tiny bird, with his ocarina and told him to watch even more carefully for bokoblins. Zeffa claimed that as he was flying around, he spotted a huge moblin campsite not too far east. Link shuddered as he thought of the giant beasts with spears invading his small campsite. He then told Zeffa to keep a watch on the moblins, too. Zeffa obliged and flew up to the tallest tree around. Link was sure he could see the glint of the bird's eyes.

Zelda sat down next to him and waited for a moment before saying: "Any news?"

Link hesitated before responding: "No. Nothing we need to be concerned about."

Fast as lightning, Zeffa flew down to the ground in front of Link and started speaking. "The moblins are moving south east down the mountains! They might see the fire!"

"Good work Zeffa. Return to your post."

Soon enough, the bird was back, his eyes surveying the countryside. Zelda and Link stood up and kicked dirt onto the fire to put it out.

"I think a group of moblins is something we need to be worried about."

Link winced under the seriousness in her voice. "I'm not so sure. There can't be many..."

"Even so, why didn't you tell me?" The seriousness was replaced by hurt.

"I didn't want you to worry, in case nothing happened." Link's tone softened as he said this.

Zelda turned her back on him, but that didn't stop him giving her a hug. A few awkward moments passed until Zelda decided to wrap her arms around him too. They both closed their eyes and smiled, unaware of the other doing the same.

"We should get some sleep. Tomorrow will be more difficult than today." Zelda said as she pulled away from him.

"Good idea. I'll see you in the morning. Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight, Link."

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A/N: Another chapter done, people! Keep reading! Keep reviewing! Keep enjoying the fanfiction! :D


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